If you operate on the basis that all the superminis from major manufacturers are more or less equally technically proficient, who's to say that buying the prettiest one isn't a reasonable course of action? Fortunately, thanks to a series of recent tweaks, there's now more to the Fiat Grande Punto than a slick piece of styling.

Studies of car buying behaviour have shown that many customers don't need the hard sell. All they need is a picture and the buying decision is made. Of course, it helps if the picture being shown is of something sleek and sexy, rather than a car with a face like a bucket of smashed crabs, and that sort of thing is a whole lot easier with coupes and sports cars. Superminis are, by their very nature, short, tall and rather dumpy looking. Fiat, it seems, have decided to disagree with that received wisdom and, against all odds, their Grande Punto has that instantaneous 'want one' factor.

But beauty can be a transient thing. Now that it's been on the market a few years, the shape of the Grande Punto carries with it less of a 'wow' factor and the importers have had to turn to more familiar ways of attracting buyers' attention. Hence the introduction of a five year unlimited mileage warranty, Fiat's clever 'Blue&Me' hands-free entertainment and communications system as standard equipment, the introduction of a sporty GP version and the addition of a larger 8-valve 1.4-litre petrol engine on entry-level versions.

As before, there are three petrol engine options - a 1.4-litre 8v with 77bhp, a 1.4-litre 16v with 95bhp and a 1.4 T-Jet unit with 120bhp - as well as two turbodiesels. These comprise a 1.3-litre 16v MultiJet (75bhp) plus a 1.9-litre MultiJet with 130bhp. To be frank, the two less powerful petrol engines don't really have the torque to move the Grande Punto really quickly and the diesels are by far the more satisfying choice. To put this into perspective, the 1.4-litre 8v petrol will need over 13 seconds to get the car to 60mph. There are some downsides to being Grande, you see. A high performance version of the 1.4 T-Jet is available in the Grande Punto Abarth model which produces 152bhp. If you want even more power this can be further upgraded to give 177bhp with a performance pack.

"The Grande Punto still has that instantaneous 'want one' factor."

One of the Grande Punto's most useful features is its 'City' button which reduces steering effort when parking to fingertip levels. With the City mode disabled, the steering gains a bit more feel although the Punto has never been a car with a particularly natural and feelsome helm. One of the areas that have come on leaps and bounds since the launch of the last Punto is refinement, and Fiat have added a significant amount of sound deadening material to the Grande and worked on reducing vibration in the engine bay. The result is that the car is far more hushed at motorway speeds, helping to reinforce that all-important perception of quality.

Look at those teardrop-shaped headlamps and chromed air intake. If you saw that appearing in your rear view mirror, you'd be forgiven for thinking a Maserati Coupe had sliced through the traffic and was sitting on your back bumper. Styled by Italdesign-Giugiaro in partnership with Centro Stile Fiat, the Grande Punto is one of those rare cars that looks good from every angle. Five-door or three-door version, it makes no difference. The shape just works.

Interior space - as you would expect from a car this generously endowed in the wheelbase department - is a standout feature. The 275-litre boot is about average for the class but rear leg and headroom is very good indeed. Fiat claim the interior 'represents the epitome of Italian style', although that may be stretching the point a little. It's rather minimalist in fact, the main dials being housed in a curiously flat-topped binnacle with an unexceptional centre console that, from a purely aesthetic perspective, is probably the car's weakest point.

Still, it's undoubtedly functional, and if you get confused by the big buttons, self explanatory ventilation controls and stereo controls, then modern life has really got on top of you. One particularly smart touch is the extension of body colour to the soft trims and dash inserts. If the dashboard was finished in grey or black it would look a little dull, but specify it in red and it really lifts the cabin.

Prices now range between £9,250 and £14,350. Above the 'Active' entry-level, there's basically a choice between 'Comfort' versions (badged 'Dynamic' and 'Eleganza') and 'Sport' models (badged 'GP' and 'Sporting'). The GP versions look ideal for younger drivers who want a more aggressive look but need lower insurance premiums. This variant gets unique, sporty (that word again) interior trim, 'sports' instruments (argh!), dark-tinted headlamps, front foglights, a rear spoiler and 16-inch alloy wheels. They're pretty sporty too.

If you can only stretch to the entry-level 'Active' models, then don't worry too much. They've been upgraded to include body-coloured wing mirrors and a digital instrument display incorporating an exterior temperature read-out. Plus you also get the 'Blue&Me' system, which allows you to link in your Bluetooth 'phone with the car, then control it either via voice or buttons on the steering wheel, with your 'phonebook displaying on the instrument panel. There's also a USB port in the glove compartment, so that you can listen to any MP3, WMA or WAV audio files loaded on a device with a USB connection.

Having some of the most modern and efficient engines in the sector helps the Grande Punto post some very decent cost of ownership figures. It's tempting to think that as the Fiat is one of the biggest superminis around, it would consequently be one of the more expensive to run but there are many much smaller cars that are shamed by the Grande Punto when it comes to the balance sheet.

The gutsy 1.4-litre petrol cars will average just over 47mpg. The 1.3-litre Multijet diesels fare the best in terms of fuel economy, logging a hefty 62.8mpg, with the 1.9 Multijet 130 managing a fairly disappointing 48.7mpg. In terms of pence per mile figures, entry level 1.4 8v and 1.3 Multijet models look the best buys. Insurance across the Grande Punto line up is reasonable, ranging from Group 2 to Group 6.

Fiat isn't about to let this Grande Punto fade into the background as a forgotten fashion accessory in the supermini market, hence this useful package of upgrades. The things that matter haven't changed though. It still looks great and the 5-star Euro NCAP rating testifies to the fact that it's still one of the safest small cars that it's possible to buy.

As a result of all this and the introduction of tough new rivals, buying a supermini these days can, depending upon your perspective, be quite difficult. Unless looks are everything. In that case, it's pretty easy - in every sense.

TOP 5 GRANDE PUNTO DEALS

The results below show the top GRANDE PUNTO deals on buyacar

	Fiat Punto Grande 1.4 16V T-Jet Sporting 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £167	Saving £3,354	Price £9,066
	Fiat Punto Grande 1.4 16v Eleganza 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £161	Saving £3,390	Price £8,805
	Fiat Punto Grande 1.3 Multijet Active 3dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £134	Saving £2,820	Price £7,525
	Fiat Punto Grande 1.3 Multijet Eleganza 5dr Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £174	Saving £3,774	Price £9,521
	Fiat Punto Grande 1.3 Multijet Dynamic 5dr [75] Hatchback
	ETR	Mthly £153	Saving £3,272	Price £8,473

typical 13.63% APR

PCP finance quote over 48 months,  10,000 miles pa,  deposit of £1000